The 45-year-old rapper, whose real name is Artis Levon Ivey Jr, was taken into custody at an LAX terminal at mid-morning after he was found with the narcotics, a Los Angeles police spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said she had no further details on the arrest but celebrity website TMZ reported that he was found with crack cocaine while going through security before boarding a Southwest Airlines flight.

Coolio first gained fame in 1995 with the hit single "Gangsta's Paradise" and multi-million selling album of the same name. His follow-up albums have failed to match that success.

The rapper has since appeared on several reality TV shows, including "Celebrity Fear Factor," and hosted the online program "Cookin With Coolio."